Robotics education is one of the fastest-growing paths into STEM — and one of the most quietly gatekept by income.
EFMIGO was founded by two high school students who noticed that robotics camps, kits, and competitions all assumed the same thing: a laptop at home, reliable internet, and often hundreds of dollars for enrollment or equipment. For a large share of local students, none of that was guaranteed.
[Placeholder — replace with the specific moment or experience that led the founders to start EFMIGO. Admissions readers respond strongly to a concrete, personal origin story rather than a general statement of the problem.]
Most robotics curricula require a screen to write and run code. That single requirement quietly excludes any student without consistent access to a computer or internet — which is exactly the population EFMIGO set out to reach. So the founders built something different: each kit includes 45 mechanical parts and 42 barcode-programming cards. Students build a working robot, then scan cards in sequence into its onboard "brain" to construct an algorithm — with zero screen and zero internet required.
What began as a handful of free weekend lessons has grown into a recurring program running across multiple schools and community centers. EFMIGO members also now represent the organization at broader STEM outreach events — all under the same throughline: making hands-on technology education available to students who wouldn't otherwise have access to it.
Each card carries a unique barcode for a real programming concept — if, while, rotate motor in port 3, and more.